Don Ramon (to Fontanares) Senor, I am delighted at this opportunity of sharing the work of so eminent a man of science. We two will be enabled to bring your invention to the highest perfection. Quinola Senor knows mechanics, ballistics, mathematics, dioptrics, catoptrics, statistics? Don Ramon Indeed I do. I have purchased many valuable treatises. Quinola In Latin? Don Ramon No, in Spanish. Quinola No true philosopher, senor, writes in anything but Latin. There is a danger that science may be vulgarized. Do you know Latin? Don Ramon Yes, senor. Quinola So much the better for you. Fontanares Senor, I respect the name which you have made; but I cannot accept your offer, because of the dangers attendant on my enterprise; I am risking my head in this work and yours is too precious to be exposed. Don Ramon Do you think, senor, that you can afford to slight Don Ramon, the great scientific authority? Quinola Don Ramon! The famous Don Ramon, who has expounded the causes of so many natural phenomena, which hitherto had been thought to happen without cause? Don Ramon The very man. Quinola I am Fontanaresi, director of the arsenal of the Venetian Republic, and grandfather of our inventor. My son, you may have full confidence in Don Ramon; a man of his position can have no designs upon you; let us tell him everything. Don Ramon (aside) Ah! I am going to learn everything about the machine. Fontanares (aside to Quinola) What is all this about? Quinola (aside to Fontanares) Let me give him a lesson in mathematics; it will do him no good, and us no harm. (To Don Ramon) Will you come here? (He points out the parts of the machine) All this is meaningless; for philosophers, the great thing-- Don Ramon The great thing? Quinola Is the problem itself! You know the reason why clouds mount upwards? Don Ramon I believe it is because they are lighter than the air. Quinola Not at all! They are heavy as well as light, for the water that is in them ends by falling as flat as a fool. I don't like water, do you? Don Ramon I have a great respect for it. Quinola I see that we are made for each other. The clouds rise to such a height, because they are vapor, and are also attracted by the force of the cold upper air. Don Ramon That may be true. I will write a treatise on the subject. Quinola My grandson states this in the formula R plus O. And as there is much water in the air, we simply say O plus O, which is a new binomial. Don Ramon A new binomial! Quinola Yes, an X, if you like it better. Don Ramon X, ah yes, I understand! Fontanares (aside) What a donkey! Quinola The rest is a mere trifle. The tube receives the water which by some means or other, has been changed to cloud. This cloud is bound to rise and the resulting force is immense. Don Ramon Immense, why immense? Quinola Immense--in that it is natural, since man--pay particular attention to this--does not create force-- Don Ramon Very good, then how--?